OPINION:
In the next 10 days Alliance shareholders get the chance to vote for new directors.

Whoever you support please vote for them because we, the shareholders of Alliance, need to become more involved if we want change.

We can also vote on a shareholder's resolution put forward by Mark Patterson of Lawrence.

This resolution is for John Monaghan to be put on the board as an independent director.

What is very unclear though, is how we can vote for this. We have to put Mark Patterson as our proxy so he can vote on this resolution on our behalf at the AGM.

In a time when our meat industry needs new ideas and new leadership, Alliance turns its nose to John Monaghan and makes it almost impossible to vote for this shareholders' resolution.

Alliance says in its board statement that its directors are in the best position to know what additional skills and expertise are needed when appointing an independent director. But, as we have all experienced over the last few years, this doesn't seem to be the case.

These are the same directors that bury their heads in the sand and tell shareholders that they are managing the declining sheep numbers, knowing that the structure is broke but still not prepared to make changes.

From the outside looking in, it seems Alliance only wants directors who toe the party line and are not prepared to allow new people in who challenge the status quo.

So when frustrated shareholders put forward John Monaghan as a candidate for change, they have made it very obscure to vote for him.

If you want to challenge the status quo, put Mark Patterson from Lawrence as proxy.